The Rational Project Manager (eBook)

ANDREW LONGMAN is a partner and Vice President of Marketing atKepner-Tregoe, a consultancy specializing in strategic andoperational decision making and critical thinking, withheadquarters in Princeton, New Jersey. JIM MULLINS is a Senior Consultant and Worldwide Product Managerfor eThink®, Kepner-Tregoe's enterprise-wide software productfor tracking and improving organizational problem solving anddecision making. www.kepner-tregoe.com

1. The Missing Pieces of the Project ManagementPuzzle.

Project Management as the New Imperative.

Project Management Unplugged.

Project Management in Action.

The Stuff of Projects.

Today's Projects: What Makes Them Different?

Today's Game Is Speed.

Disembodied Goals.

The Ebb and Flow of Today's Teams.

The Competition for Resources.

The Revolving Door.

The Penchant for Complexity.

Projects Aren't Going Away.

The Missing Pieces of the Project Management Puzzle.

What's Ahead.

2. Project Definition.

Why Are We Doing This Project?

State the Project.

Develop Objectives.

Develop the Work Breakdown Structure.

Identify Resource Requirements.

Additional Definition Topics.

3. Project Planning.

Assign Responsibility.

Sequence Deliverables.

Schedule Deliverables.

Schedule Resources.

Protect and Enhance the Plan.

Enhance the Plan.

Additional Planning Topics.

Planning Summary.

4. Project Implementation.

Are You Ready to Do the Work?

Start to Implement.

Monitor the Project.

Modify the Project.

Closeout and Evaluate.

Additional Implementation Topic.

Implementation Summary.

5. Managing People in Projects.

Influencing People.

The Performance System.

Involving People.

Communicating with People.

Meetings and Communication.

Summary.

6. Project Decision Making and ProblemSolving.

Situation Appraisal.

Decision Analysis.

Problem Analysis.

Decision-Making and Problem-Solving Summary.

7. Installing Project Management within anOrganization.

Ensuring Systematic Use of Project Management.

Installing Project Management.

How Should You Install Project Management in YourOrganization?

A Final Word on Project Management.

Index.